Inside Their Heads
by clara fox
Summary: How did Sirius end up in Gryffindor? Why wasn't Hermione in Ravenclaw? Drabbley set of spec pieces that lay out some of the Sorting Hat conversations we didn't hear.
1. Hermione

**Title:** Inside Their Heads  
**Summary:** Drabbley set of spec pieces on some of the Sorting Hat conversations we didn't hear. Inspired by Torny's "The Right Thing," which lays out a possible script for what the Sorting Hat said to Percy.  
**Rating:** K  
**Disclaimer:** All the characters and the world they live in belong to JK Rowling. She didn't tell us this part of the story, so I'm taking a stab at it.

* * *

Granger, Hermione

* * *

"My heavens, there certainly are brains in this one!" 

_You're bewitched to hear my thoughts? Or do you just reproduce a mind-screening charm?  
_

"Intelligence and spark and curiosity. Yes, you would fit right in with the Ravenclaws."

_No, a simple charm couldn't draw conclusions. . . it must be much more complex than that.  
_

"Very clever, yes, Ravenclaw would suit you."

_I - I wouldn't mind that._

"Wouldn't mind? Not excited about learning for learning's sake then? Well, you've got the cleverness a Slytherin would need to rise to success..."

_Slytherin?_

"You're hesitant about Slytherin? Yes, I suppose you would rather prove your worth rather than scheming towards it."

_I can prove my worth! I've read loads already - I must know nearly as much as the wizard-born students by now.  
_

"You value knowledge indeed. Many young witches like you have flourished in Ravenclaw's intellectual atmosphere. So Ravenclaw it is, unless..."

_Unless what?_

"Unless what you truly value is a challenge. Not the knowledge itself, but the path toward it."

_I do like challenges, I suppose._

"Yes, there is drive in you, and the courage of your convictions. You would do well in Ravenclaw, but I think it had better be -"

* * *

GRYFFINDOR


	2. Ron

* * *

Weasley, Ronald

* * *

"Oh my, another one of you!" 

_Yeah, that's me. Another Weasley boy. Nothing special._

"Would you like to be different from the others? I do sense a wish for power, a desire to stand alone."

_Yeah. Yeah, I'd like to stand out!_

"You could achieve that success, certianly, in Slytherin."

_What? No, that's not what I meant.  
_

"Not Slytherin then? Well, perhaps you will find your own way to stand out in -"

* * *

GRYFFINDOR

* * *


	3. Neville

* * *

Longbottom, Neville

* * *

"What have we here? Nervousness, yes, but underneath all that. . . my, what an interesting case. Which house to sort you into?" 

_I know I'm a Hufflepuff. Gran's told me loads of times that's where I'll end up._

"Hufflepuff? Well, you do have loyalty, and your sense of justice is strong indeed. But behind that justice is so much anger!"

_Anger? No, I'm not angry_.

"You can't put up a brave front with me, my boy. I can see what's inside you, after all. I see your loyalty, yes, but even stronger, your courage and a deep capacity for selflessness, for sacrifice. . ."

_You - you can see all that?_

"Oh my, yes! I also see the seeds of ambition in you. . . with the right encouragement, you could go on to greatness. Slytherin could help bring out that side of you."

_No._

"Not Slytherin then? Well, -"

They _all came from Slytherin. I'll never be one of them. Just put me in Hufflepuff and be done with it._

"Aha! There's the spark coming out. It can be kindled in many different ways, you know. It's up to you which way to go."

_I want to go to Hufflepuff._

"Do you, then? With all that valor in there, I would have thought - but no, you've decided on Hufflepuff."

_Er, yes. Or, hold on, what valor?_

"You could do great things as a Gryffindor. It wouldn't be easy, I'd imagine."

_I could work at it._

"Yes, I think you could."

_My parents. . . were Gryffindors. Are Gryffindors. I never thought I was like them. Gran always said. . ._

"You have what they had. Could follow their paths."

_I can do that. I will._

"You mean that, don't you? And you understand all that that may mean. You have bravery indeed, young man. Well, there's no doubt then that you will make your mark in -"

* * *

GRYFFINDOR

* * *

A/N: I've got some more of these planned out, but I wanted to put up a few to get some feedback on the format and general idea. I'm trying to make these agree with any direct descriptions of the sorting (mostly from the Sorting Hat chapter in SS, though some details come from later books, like Hermione's admission in OOP that the Hat was "seriously considering putting her in Ravenclaw") but mostly I'm going off of my own interpretations of the characters, so I'd love input and critiques. And as I said, I have a whole list of these I'm thinking about, but by all means let me know if you think a certain character definitely deserves the spotlight. 


	4. Malfoy

* * *

Malfoy, Draco

* * *

_Okay, Draco. You know where you belong. Let's show this ratty old hat who's the boss._

"Ah, there is drive in this one -"

_Put me in Slytherin._

"You've got a lot of courage..."

_Put me in Slytherin or I'll rip you to pieces._

"And loyalty, and such intelligence, why -"

_I'll not go anywhere but Slytherin. _

"Ah, well, then it'll have to be -"

* * *

SLYTHERIN

* * *


	5. Ginny

* * *

Weasley, Ginevra

* * *

"My, what a delightful puzzle!" 

_I'm a puzzle? Aren't I going to be a Gryffindor like all my brothers?_

"Oh, well you certainly could be. Yes, you would make a fine Gryffindor. Brave, fierce and fearless. And as fiery as your hair, I'd imagine."

_Um. Well, I suppose I could be brave. No one's ever said 'fiery' though._

"Haven't they? But then they can't see inside your head. Very interesting."

_What's interesting?_

"You're a bright one, sharp enough for Ravenclaw certainly."

_Oh, but I'm not smarter than Percy, and he wasn't in Ravenclaw._

"Don't you think so? Ravenclaw could help you hone your brains, give you a chance to shine."

_I - I could be shiny._

"But you have a deep affinity for people, as well. As fiercely loyal as you are brave, and certainly there is much room in you for love and sacrifice."

_I don't know what you mean._

"Don't you? You will in time, in any case. No, your loyalty will come through even without Hufflepuff."

_Would my intelligence as well?_

"I suppose it could. And there's a devious side to your cleverness. Not exactly right for Ravenclaw then. But you could reach great heights in Slytherin."

_I'm not evil!_

"No, no, certainly not. All the more reason for you to fit well in Slytherin. You could be a balancing force, your loyalty would be valued among your comrades; your intelligence respected. You could go far, and what is more . . . you could keep others from going too far."

_But . . . what about being loyal to my family and to their house? Can't I balance in Gryffindor?_

"I suppose you're right. Yes, even Gryffindor could perhaps use someone to ground them. You could change fortunes in Slytherin though, you realize."

_There must be some fortunes worth changing in Gryffindor. I can balance my brother, and - my other brothers._

"Very well. I do believe you will find someone to influence in -"

* * *

GRYFFINDOR

* * *


	6. Remus

* * *

Lupin, Remus

* * *

"Well, this shouldn't be difficult." 

_There's a house for lycanthropes, is there?_

"A sense of humor. Very nice. Remarkable to be so sure of yourself at such a young age."

_I'm not sure at all. I'm . . . well, I'm terrified, really._

"But willing to admit it, and sitting here anyway. That sounds like a Gryffindor to me."

_I think I would like Gryffindor. Is that my house then?_

"You could also go to Ravenclaw; you've intelligence as well as bravery. Each house would bring out one of those qualities above the other."

_So you're saying I can choose?_

"That would make my job easier, I must admit."

_If I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw, I'm smart enough to get on in my studies no matter which house I'm in, is that true?_

"Your logic seems sound enough. Will it be Gryffindor then?"

_Yes. I'd like to learn to be braver. And I suppose it will take a Gryffindor's courage to be friends with me, if anyone can at all._

"You may be surprised. And I believe you'll find what you're looking for in -"

* * *

GRYFFINDOR

* * *


	7. Sirius

* * *

Black, Sirius

* * *

_Listen, hat. You and I both know you want to put me in Slytherin. And I'm here to tell you I won't have it._

"Won't you, now?"

_I don't care if it's the Black family house. I don't care if I could do great things. I don't care if my parents disown me for being sorted into Hufflepuff._

"You seem to have this all thought out. And you're right, you're certainly right."

_That my mum will cut me off of the family tree? Let her. _

"No, no, I can see into your head, not into hers. I mean, I did once see into hers, but I very much doubt she was planning that far in advance. No, you're right that Slytherin would help you achieve greatness, follow in the illustrious shoes of some of your Slytherin ancestors."

_Maybe you can't __even see _my _thoughts, if that's what you think I want. I don't want to be well known, I don't want to be great. I just want to be among people who don't care who your family is._

"Then which house would you prefer?"

_I've already said to just put me in Hufflepuff. I won't pretend I'm smart enough for Ravenclaw. And I can't see the eighteenth in a line of Slytherins being placed in Gryffindor._

"You don't think it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to everything you were taught, to go against your family tradition to preserve what you believe in?"

_Well. I wasn't thinking of it that way. Yeah, I'm bloody brave at that._

"Very well. Although I wonder if you won't end up one of the most well-known wizards to come out of -"

* * *

GRYFFINDOR

* * *


	8. Snape

* * *

Snape, Severus

* * *

"Oh, my dear boy! Are you really trying to block me? I don't remember the last time a student tried to close off parts of his mind to me." 

_I'm not closing off anything._

"Of course you are; you can't lie to me when I can see into your head. Now what is it you don't want me to see?"

_Stop it! There's nothing - stop!_

"You are a remarkably strong Occlumens for your age, but I flatter myself that I'm a bit too good at what I do to be hoodwinked by an eleven-year-old. Now, let's take a look."

_Are you calling me a liar? There's nothing else for you_ to _see._

"Ah, so then all you have in you is cold ambition?"

_If that's what you see in me, then I suppose that's it. Aren't you the 'hat that sees you outside-in?'_

"Didn't like my song much then, did you? Well, I won't pretend it was my best. Aha!"

_Stop it!  
_

"You can't stop me seeing your mind, it's what I do. Now what is it you're hiding from me? Intelligence, well that was obvious from the advanced level of mind magic you've been doing. Did your father teach it to you?"

_My father? Teach me something magic? He'd have kept me out of this school if he could. And my mother would have stopped __me if I ever let her know. You say you can "see" my mind but you can't tell how far from a teacher he is, how useless he's made her?_

"You've got it in you to stand up to him, though, haven't you? You have that courage."

_What do you know? If I did anything for her he would hurt her worse. _

"Yes, so you take it all upon yourself? You let her think you don't care enough, or are too afraid to help her?"

_I do what I have to do. Which seems to be more than I can say about you._

"You won't stand up to him, but you don't hold back with me, I can see that. Well where shall I place you then?"

_You mean I've a choice?_

"More so than most, I daresay. You've got courage enough for a Gryffindor and more than enough brains and love of knowledge to see you do well in Ravenclaw, and although your brand of loyalty is perhaps a bit . . . different from the usual Hufflepuff, you are more than ready enough for hard work. But I wonder . . ."

_Wonder what? What about Slytherin?_

"Yes, exactly: Slytherin. I wonder if all of your qualities wouldn't show themselves all the more strongly if you were there."

_Do you sort anyone without talking complete rubbish to them first?_

"You wanted me to sort you into Slytherin for your ambition. Would you still want to be a Slytherin if it would require extreme dedication, skill, and bravery to achieve your ends?"

_I thought you were supposed to tell me what it is I want._

"Ah, well. You would do well to remember that you did have the choice, though, but if you leave it to me I think it might be well for you to be in -"

* * *

SLYTHERIN

* * *


End file.
